Local entrepreneur out to revitalize Penn-North after riots

Effort is part of initiative to invest in property, people in west Baltimore

Even before last year's riots, abandoned buildings and boarded-up homes were an all-too-common sight in the Penn-North community in west Baltimore. After the violence, the blight was even more prevalent. Entrepreneur Alecia Brown said she wanted to grab a broom and clean up.

Local entrepreneur out to revitalize Penn-North after riots

Effort is part of initiative to invest in property, people in west Baltimore

But one developer in the city wants it to be better than before and she is not only investing in property, but in people as well.

Even before last year's riots, abandoned buildings and boarded-up homes were an all-too-common sight in the Penn-North community in west Baltimore. After the violence, the blight was even more prevalent.

Brown did more than that. She owns property in the neighborhood, and after the riots, she did something unusual: She bought more.

"It's going to be lounges, cafes, areas where people from MICA or other places can come down here and say I want to live here," Brown said. "We want to revive the entire block."

Brown pointed to an old driving school that will soon house a clothing store on the first floor and a cafe on the second floor as an example of what could be the start of an economic resurgence for the area.

"Let's make this into something that's beneficial to the community," Brown said.

It may be hard to see through the bricks and trash, but the work is being done at about 15 properties in a three-block stretch

Brown said they have hired people in the community along the way to give them new work skills. The proof is in the finished product.

Brown said the work is not just about the property, but also the people.That's why on the anniversary of the riots they want to remember the past and celebrate the future.

"On the anniversary of the riots, we are going to have a ribbon-cutting," Brown said. "We're offering this new vision and saying this is what North Avenue can be."

Brown said she and other organizers are working with the city to secure the proper permits for that event to shut down a few blocks on North Avenue. The event will be called "Be-more, Be-Great, Be-Legend."